The Judean then followed with a discourse on the text: And thou shalt eat and be satisfied, and bless the Lord thy God (Deut. 8, 10). ‘Have we not to bless God’, he asked, ‘before we eat? Indeed, we have to get up early in the morning and recite His praises in proper order, and bless His name before we are allowed to salute any living person. Scripture also says: “Ye shall not eat with the blood” (Lev. 19, 26), implying that it is forbidden to eat before pronouncing a benediction to one’s Master. But the truth is that other benedictions are mainly concerned with the declaration of the unity of God,
whereas the grace after meals is meant to show that along with him who says it the grade of faith is also satisfied, and hence it has to be recited in order that this grade may be satisfied and beatified and filled of joy from the celestial life, so that it may provide us with sustenance.
For the providing of man’s daily food is for the Holy One, blessed be He, as heavy a task as the cleaving of the Red Sea, because it depends upon mazzal and is not, as it were, under His jurisdiction until a benediction is pronounced to Him.
Similarly, the arranging of marriages is a heavy task to Him. For when the holy mating takes place, all the souls issue from that mazzal above which is identical with the everflowing river;
and when there is desire in the lower for the higher, the souls fly down in pairs of male and female, after which their ruling grade separates them and sends each to its appointed place. But later on that presiding grade finds it hard to join them together in their original pairs, since they are now paired in accordance with men’s conduct, and all depends now on a higher region.
The providing of sustenance is compared to the cleaving of the Red Sea because this also depends on operations on high, ways and paths being opened and cleft in the sea in correspondence with the ways and paths on high.
It is therefore necessary to offer blessings to the Power on high and to impart to Him reinforcement from below so that He may receive the heavenly blessings and the heavenly reinforcements in due measure. Hence it is written: “and thou shalt bless the Lord”, the vocable eth (accusative particle) having a special significance (as pointing to that region).
And toward that region it is necessary to show oneself satisfied and cheerful. Contrariwise, toward the other side, when it exercises sway over the world, one must show oneself hungry and famished, inasmuch as plenteousness does not then rule in the world. This, then, is the explanation of the verse: “And thou shalt eat and be satisfied, and bless the Lord thy God.” ‘Said R. Eleazar: ‘This is truly so, and that is how men ought to act.’
R. Judah said: ‘Happy are those righteous whose coming together brings peace to the world, since they know how to effect unity. Before Joseph and Judah drew near each other there was no peace, but as soon as they did so they brought much peace into the world, and great joy both above and below, since as soon as Judah came near to Joseph all the tribes joined him.’
פָּתַח הַהוּא יוּדָאי אֲבַתְרֵיהּ וְאָמַר, (דברים ח׳:י׳) וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ וּבֵרַכְתָּ אֶת ה' אֱלקֶיךָ. וְכִי לָא מְבָרְכִינָן לֵיהּ לְקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא עַד לָא נִיכוּל, וְהָא אִית לָן לְאַקְדּוּמֵי בְּצַפְרָא וּלְסִדּוּרֵי שְׁבָחָא דִילֵיהּ (דמאריה) כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, וּלְבָרְכָא בִּשְׁמֵיהּ עַד לָא יְבָרֵךְ לְאַחֲרָא בְּעַלְמָא. וּכְתִיב (ויקרא כט) לא תֹאכֵלוּ עַל הַדָּם, אָסוּר לֵיהּ לְמֵיכַל עַד לָא יְבָרֵךְ לְמָארֵיהּ. וְהַשְׁתָּא כְּתִיב וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ וּבֵרַכְתָּ.
The Judean then followed with a discourse on the text: And thou shalt eat and be satisfied, and bless the Lord thy God (Deut. 8, 10). ‘Have we not to bless God’, he asked, ‘before we eat? Indeed, we have to get up early in the morning and recite His praises in proper order, and bless His name before we are allowed to salute any living person. Scripture also says: “Ye shall not eat with the blood” (Lev. 19, 26), implying that it is forbidden to eat before pronouncing a benediction to one’s Master. But the truth is that other benedictions are mainly concerned with the declaration of the unity of God,
אֶלָּא, דָּא בִּרְכָתָא דִצְלוֹתָא דְּיִחוּדָא, וְדָא בִּרְכָתָא דִּמְזוֹנָא. לְאַחֲזָאָה לְגַבֵּי דַרְגָּא דִמְהֵימְנוּתָא, שָׂבָע כְּדְקָא יָאוֹת. וּכְדֵין בְּעֵי לְבָרְכָא לֵיהּ כְּדְקָא יְאוּת, דְּהַהוּא דַרְגָּא דִמְהֵימְנוּתָא יִתְרַוֵּי וִיבָרֵךְ, וְיִתְמַלֵּא חֵידוּ מֵחַיִּין דִּלְעֵילָא כְּמָה דְאִצְטְרִיךְ, בְּגִין לְמֵיהַב לָן מְזוֹנֵי.
whereas the grace after meals is meant to show that along with him who says it the grade of faith is also satisfied, and hence it has to be recited in order that this grade may be satisfied and beatified and filled of joy from the celestial life, so that it may provide us with sustenance.
דְּהָא קָשִׁין מְזוֹנָא דְבַר נָשׁ קַמֵי קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, כִּקְרִיעַת יַם סוּף. מַאי טַעְמָא. בְּגִין דִּמְזוֹנָא דְעַלְמָא דִלְעֵילָא הוּא, דִּתְנַן בָּנֵי חַיֵּי וּמְזוֹנֵי וְכוּ', וּבְגִין כָּךְ קַשְׁיָין קַמֵּיהּ מְזוֹנֵי דְעַלְמָא. דְּהָא בְּמַזָּלָא תַּלְיָא מִילְתָא. דְּמִנֵּיהּ נָפְקֵי מְזוֹנֵי וְחַיֵּי וּבָנֵי. וּבְגִין כָּךְ קָשִׁין קַמֵּיהּ מְזוֹנֵי דְעַלְמָא, דְּהָא לָאו בִּרְשׁוּתֵיהּ קָיְימָא, עַד דְּיִתְבָּרֵךְ אִיהוּ.
For the providing of man’s daily food is for the Holy One, blessed be He, as heavy a task as the cleaving of the Red Sea, because it depends upon mazzal and is not, as it were, under His jurisdiction until a benediction is pronounced to Him.
כְּגַוְונָא דָא זִיִוְגִּין דְּעַלְמָא קָשִׁין קַמֵּיהּ, וְכֹלָּא בְּגִין דְּרָקִיעַ וִילוֹן לָא מְשַׁמֵּשׁ כְּלוּם. וְכָל שֶׁכֵּן אִלֵּין מִלִּין דְּקָיְימִין לְעֵילָא בְּאֲתַר אָחֳרָא, וְעַל דָּא אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאִתְבָּרְכָא.
Similarly, the arranging of marriages is a heavy task to Him. For when the holy mating takes place, all the souls issue from that mazzal above which is identical with the everflowing river;
תָּא חֲזֵי, כָּל זִווּגִין דְּעַלְמָא קָשִׁין קַמֵּיהּ הַאי דַרְגָא, בְּגִין דְּכַד הַאי זִוּוּגָא קַדִּישָׁא אִשְׁתַּכַּח, כָּל נִשְׁמָתִין נָפְקִין מִגּוֹ הַאי מַזָּלָא לְעֵילָא, דְּאִיהוּ הַהוּא נָהָר דְּנָגִיד וְנָפִיק. וְכַד תִּיאוּבְתָּא אִשְׁתַּכַּח מִלְרַע לְעֵילָא, כְּדֵין פָּרְחִין נִשְׁמָתִין, וְאִתְיְיהִיבוּ כֻּלְּהוּ כְּלִילָן דְּכַר וְנוּקְבָא כְּחֲדָא בְּהַאי דַרְגָּא. וּלְבָתַר אִיהוּ פָּרִישׁ לוֹן כָּל חַד וְחַד לְאַתְרֵיהּ כְּדְקָא חָזֵי לֵיהּ. וּלְבָתַר קָשִׁין קַמֵּי הַאי דַרְגָּא לְחַבְּרָא לוֹן כְּקַדְמִיתָא, בְּגִין דְּלָא מִתְחַבְּרָן, בַּר כְּאִינוּן אָרְחֵי דְבַּר נָשׁ, וְכֹלָּא לְעֵילָא תַּלְיָין.
and when there is desire in the lower for the higher, the souls fly down in pairs of male and female, after which their ruling grade separates them and sends each to its appointed place. But later on that presiding grade finds it hard to join them together in their original pairs, since they are now paired in accordance with men’s conduct, and all depends now on a higher region.
וְעַל דָּא קָשִׁין קַמֵּיהּ כִּקְרִיעַת יַם סוּף. דְּהָא קְרִיעַת יַמָּא לְאִתְפַּתְּחָא בֵּיהּ שְׁבִילִין, לְעֵילָא אִיהוּ. וּכְמָה דְּמִתְפַּתְּחִין שְׁבִילִין וְאוֹרְחִין בֵּיהּ, הָכִי אִתְבַּקַּע וְאִתְפַּתַּח.
The providing of sustenance is compared to the cleaving of the Red Sea because this also depends on operations on high, ways and paths being opened and cleft in the sea in correspondence with the ways and paths on high.
וּבְגִין כָּךְ כֹּלָּא תַּלְיָא לְעֵילָא, וּבְעִינָן לְבָרְכָא לֵיהּ, וּלְמֵיהַב לֵיהּ תּוּקְפָא מִתַּתָּא, בְּגִין דְּיִתְבָּרְכָא מִלְּעֵילָא, וְיִתְתַּקַּף כְּדְקָא חָזֵי. וְעַל דָּא כְּתִיב, וּבֵרַכְתָּ אֶת ה', אֶת דַּיְיקָא.
It is therefore necessary to offer blessings to the Power on high and to impart to Him reinforcement from below so that He may receive the heavenly blessings and the heavenly reinforcements in due measure. Hence it is written: “and thou shalt bless the Lord”, the vocable eth (accusative particle) having a special significance (as pointing to that region).
וּלְגַבֵּי הַאי אֲתַר, אִצְטְרִיךְ לְאַחֲזָאָה קַמֵּיהּ שָׂבְעָא וּנְהִירוּ דְאַנְפִּין. וּלְגַבֵּי סִטְרָא אָחֳרָא, בְּזִמְנָא דְאִיהִי שָׁלְטָא בְּעַלְמָא, בְּעֵי לְאַחֲזָאָה קַמֵּיהּ כַּפְנָא. דְּהַהוּא דַרְגָּא רָעָב אִיהוּ, וְאִתְחֲזֵי לְאַחֲזָאָה קַמֵּיהּ כַּפְנָא וְלָא שׂוֹבְעָא, הוֹאִיל וְשָׂבָע לָא שָׁלְטָא בְּעַלְמָא. וְעַל דָּא, וְאָכַלְתָּ וְשָׂבָעְתָּ וּבֵרַכְתָּ אֶת ה' אֱלֹקֶיךָ. אָמַר רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, הָכִי הוּא וַדַּאי, וְהָכִי אִצְטְרִיךְ.
And toward that region it is necessary to show oneself satisfied and cheerful. Contrariwise, toward the other side, when it exercises sway over the world, one must show oneself hungry and famished, inasmuch as plenteousness does not then rule in the world. This, then, is the explanation of the verse: “And thou shalt eat and be satisfied, and bless the Lord thy God.” ‘Said R. Eleazar: ‘This is truly so, and that is how men ought to act.’
אָמַר רִבִּי יְהוּדָה, זַכָּאִין אִינוּן צַדִּיקַיָּיא דְּקוּרְבָא דִּלְהוֹן אִיהוּ שְׁלָמָא בְּעַלְמָא. בְּגִין דְּיָדְעֵי לְיַחֲדָא יִחוּדָא, וּמְקַרְבֵי קוּרְבָא לְאַסְגָּאָה שְׁלָמָא בְּעַלְמָא. דְּהָא יוֹסֵף וִיהוּדָה עַד לָא אִתְקְרִיבוּ דָּא עִם דָּא, לָא הֲוָה שְׁלָמָא. כֵּיוָן דְּאִתְקְרִיבוּ יוֹסֵף וִיהוּדָה כְּחֲדָא, כְּדֵין אַסְגִּיאוּ שְׁלָמָא בְּעַלְמָא. וְחֵידוּ אִתּוֹסַף לְעֵילָא וְתַתָּא, כְּמָה דְּקוּרְבָא דִּיהוּדָה וְיוֹסֵף וְכֻלְּהוּ שִׁבְטִין אִשְׁתַּכָּחוּ כְּחֲדָא בֵּיהּ בְּיוֹסֵף. וְהַהוּא קוּרְבָא אַסְגֵּי שְׁלָמָא בְּעַלְמָא, כְּמָה דְאוֹקִימְנָא. דִּכְתִיב, וַיִּגַּשׁ אֵלָיו יְהוּדָה:
R. Judah said: ‘Happy are those righteous whose coming together brings peace to the world, since they know how to effect unity. Before Joseph and Judah drew near each other there was no peace, but as soon as they did so they brought much peace into the world, and great joy both above and below, since as soon as Judah came near to Joseph all the tribes joined him.’